Why I Don't Like Reading Mysteries

At the end of my post "Mini Lessons From My Summer Reading," I said that reading THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET had clarified for me why I don't generally like reading mysteries.

It seems to me that in a mystery, the author and the detective character are working together to solve the mystery. As the reader, I'm in on lots of the clues, but often, I doesn't have access to all of the clues that it takes to solve the mystery. It frustrates me to no end when the mystery gets solved with information I never had access to.  Because I know that the author will make it impossible (or nearly so) for me to solve the mystery based on the clues provided in the book, I don't really try. I disengage as a reader. For me, reading a mystery is like watching a movie -- I'm on the outside looking in, an observer but not a participant.

In a novel like JACOB DE ZOET, it feels like the author is working directly with me, the reader, to make sense of the story. Every (non-mystery) novel is still a kind of a mystery because the author gives me all the clues or information I will need to make sense of the story.  However, I'm working with the author because it's up to me to pay attention to the clues s/he gives me, to follow the bread crumbs that are dropped for me to follow so that I can construct the story together with the author.  The author trusts me, the reader, to be clever enough and observant enough to make sense of it all.  I like the kind of book where I collaborate with the author to make meaning and solve the puzzle of the story s/he is telling.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Is there some joy in reading mysteries that I'm missing?

A Few Fun New Picture Books

I just found three great new picture books for the library. I think each will make for a fun read aloud. Primary kids will love them.

THE COW LOVES COOKIES is by Karma Wilson, who our students LOVE. This book will definitely be loved. The story takes place on a farm. The farmer goes around the farm to feed the animals.  Each has a special thing to eat, especially the cow.    There is enough rhyming and repetition that it will make for a great read aloud or shared reading. And it is a fun story.  At the end of the story, we learn WHY the cow loves cookies.

I am loving the new Amelia Bedila picture books so I was happy to see AMELIA BEDELIA'S FIRST APPLE PIE by Herman Parish. This book has the usual Amelia Bedelia humor. I love these books because they are so accessible to kids. The words and phrases that confuse Amelia Bedelia are those that they hear often and may need clarification on.  A great character to start conversations about this. This book also includes information about apples, the types of apples, and making apple pie.  A recipe is included at the end of the book!

BEAR IN UNDERWEAR by Todd H. Doodler is a fun book due to the topic of course. Bear is playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of friends. On his way home, he stumbles on a backpack and takes it home.  When his friends convince him to open it, it is filled with a variety of underwear.  Bear tries some on--one pair is too big, another is too small, another is too silly, etc. He finally finds a pair that fit him just right--the tighty whitey underwear.  Amazingly enough, his friends decide they need underwear too and each finds a pair that fit perfectly. Really a hysterical book--what a concept.  Kids will love that the whole book is about underwear and the illustrations are perfect for young children--bright and fun.

10 Picture Books I've Loved for 10 Years (or more)

It was NOT hard to find books I've loved using in my classroom for 10 years (or more).

It WAS hard to choose only 10.

I could have picked the books of 10 visiting authors from all those years ago (oh the memories): Jean Craighead George, Cynthia Rylant, Moredcai Gerstein, Ron Hirschi, J. Patrick Lewis, Robert D. San Souci, Seymour Simon...

But here's what I wound up with -- 2 poetry, 3 nonfiction and 5 picture books. Remember, it was really hard to pick only 10!!

Funny poetry that wasn't Shel Silverstein!
Revolutionary!






If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand
by Kalli Dakos
1990

Fresh metaphors. Her polliwogs are "Chubby commas..."  So perfect!

The Great Frog Race and Other Poems

by Kristine O'Connell George

1997

Picture books have never been the same...

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales

by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

1992

A concise history of the Eastern U.S. that shows the interconnectedness of times and peoples.

Who Came Down That Road?

by George Ella Lyon

1992

Wordless picture book. How humans change a place over time. Hmm.  Just realized it's the opposite of Lyon's book -- hers goes back in history, this one goes forward in time. Hmm...

Window 

by Jeannie Baker

1991

Fun for questioning, predicting, and studying the intricate illustrations.

Guess What?

by Mem Fox

1988

All the small moments of life should be celebrated.

I'm In Charge of Celebrations

by Byrd Baylor

1986

Thanks to Percy, this book enjoyed a resurgence of popularity this year.

  

The Olympians: Great Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece

by Leonard Everett Fisher

1984

Was there a time before The Magic School Bus? (And looky there -- it's autographed by both Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen! Wonders never cease!)

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth

by Joanna Cole

1987

Mary Pope Osborne has opened many windows and doors for children. The more diverse my classes become, the more I need this book every year. So that we can learn to understand each other and empathize with each other. (btw -- Ramadan begins the 11th/12th of August this year and will continue until September 9th/10th)

One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship

by Mary Pope Osborne

1996

Check out all the 10 for 10 Picture Book posts at Reflect & Refine (Cathy's blog) or Enjoy and Embrace Learning (Mandy's blog).  Join the fun!  Which 10 picture books are the ones you couldn't live or teach without?

10 Picture Books I've Recently Discovered

I love the idea that Cathy and Mandy had for today's picture book celebration--choose 10 picture books that you couldn't live without in your classroom. As I started my list, I realized that I could NEVER narrow it down to 10 so I decided to focus my list a bit. Today, as part of August 10 for 10, I am sharing 10 picture books that I have recently discovered-those that I can't live without. They are not the only 10, but they are 10 newer ones that I have fallen in love with.

CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG is my favorite book of the year. At first, I wasn't too thrilled to see that Mo was writing about characters other than Pigeon, Piggie, and Elephant. But this book is amazingly powerful for so many reasons. I have read it to children and adults and love it more and more each time I read it.

OTIS by Loren Long is another that is already well-loved in the library. This is a story of Otis, a tractor who is so happy with life until the new big shiny tractor comes to the farm. This is really a story of friendship and loyalty. You will LOVE the characters.

KATIE LOVES THE KITTENS by John Himmelman is a great story for dog lovers. Katie is a dog who gets new kittens at her house. She LOVES the kittens but they don't love her right away.

BELLA AND BEAN by Rebecca Kai Dotlich is a book that I carried around with me for weeks after I discovered it. These two girls are two of my favorite characters of all time and the fact that these girls are poets just adds to the fun.

HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING by Bob Graham is one that I read to several grade levels. A great

story about a boy who helps a bird to heal. But if you dig beneath the surface, there are so many great messages in the story and the illustrations. The writing is amazing--not one word wasted.

PETE THE CAT: I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES by Eric Litwin. All you have to do to fall in love with this book is to watch the video of the author sharing it with kids.

I KNOW HERE by Laurel Croza is filled with beautiful writing of home, the place the narrator knows best. Remembering what she loves about her home, she prepares to move to a new place. The writing makes this a great mentor text for kids.

A SMALL BROWN DOG WITH A WET PINK NOSE by Stephanie Stuve-Boden is one of my all-time favorite books about a girl trying to convince her parents that she wants a dog. This little girl is quite clever!

GUESS AGAIN by Mac Barnett is a great rhyming book that is full of surprises!

WAITING FOR WINTER by Sebastian Meschenmoser is a fun book about 3 animals who want to see winter so instead of hibernating they look for snow. Lots of humor in this one too!

Check out all the 10 for 10 Picture Book posts at Reflect & Refine (Cathy's blog) or Enjoy and Embrace Learning (Mandy's blog). Join the fun! Which 10 picture books are the ones you couldn't live or teach without?

PLAYING WITH WORDS: AN INTERVIEW WITH RALPH FLETCHER

If you have not seen Ralph Fletcher's new book, PYROTECHNICS ON THE PAGE: PLAYFUL CRAFT THAT SPARKS WRITING, it is a must-read for writing teachers. In this new book, Ralph shares his wisdom about the need for word play in our work with children. We had the pleasure of interviewing Ralph about the ideas in his new book.

FRANKI: It seems that, although your book is about playing with words, your message is bigger than that. You address the absence of play throughout the day. Can you talk a bit about your concerns with that?

RALPH: Yes. I don't think we value play as a learning environment anymore. We are not teaching corporate executives but, rather, children. Kids love to play. And many researchers have shown that play is a rich learning environment.  Why shouldn't we take advantage of kids' affinity for play?

FRANKI: Why do you think play is important in writing? How can playing with words improve student writing?

RALPH: Strong writing is always fresh and memorable, never formulaic and predictable. When a student writes playfully, he/she imbues the writing with those qualities that make us sit up and take notice.

FRANKI: Talk a bit about how playing with words has been important to your own writing?

RALPH: I play with writing every time I sit down. I'm always wondering: how can I say this in a way that's never been said before? How can I find a new arrangement of words, a new phrase? Wordplay is very important in poetry and picture books, but it's also important in my novels and even my professional books.

FRANKI: When in the process is your language most important? At the beginning or during revision? Do you think all writers focus on language at different times in the process?

RALPH: I once would have answered that question by saying: during revision. Katie Wood recently attended one of my presentations and she stated that she doesn't really think of the stages of writing as being distinct. I realized that she's right! They are all mixed together. I'm thinking about language while I'm drafting, while I'm rereading, and also while I'm revising. So I would say that language play is important throughout the process. It's not confined to any one particular part of the writing process.

FRANKI: You include several lessons in the book to support word play. Do you think there are particular things that kids need to know or be invited to do?

RALPH: Children need lots of examples of wordplay, both from literature as well as from popular culture. They also need to get from their teacher an unambiguous signal to be playful.

FRANKI: Do you think it is more important that children play with words orally or in their writing?

RALPH: Hmmmm, interesting question! I think kids do play with their language in their talk. When they do so, the teacher could "bracket" it, point it out, and invite students to do similar things in their writing. But yes, if we want kids to "have a go" at wordplay, they could try it verbally with another student. Talk gives kids a low-risk high-comfort place where they can begin to experiment with playing around with words. .

FRANKI: You talk about the danger of “naming”. Can you talk a bit about that?

RALPH: When it comes to naming vs. usage I vote with usage every time. Unfortunately, I think we often go no further than having students name the technique. It's nice if students can define alliteration or metaphor, but if they can't use it in their writing--so what?

FRANKI: What is the one thing you hope teachers who read your book walk away with? What is your hope for kids in writing classrooms?

RALPH: I don't know if I can distill it to just one thing. Here are two. First, I think strong writing contains an element of surprise. Wordplay--the surprising, unexpected effect that happens when words rub together--is a great way to create surprise.


Second, it's tempting to look at wordplay as some kind of exotic side dish rather than the "meat-and-potatoes" of real writing. I disagree. I see it as central. It's not merely a way to show off or be clever; rather, it's a way to powerfully hone what you want to say. For instance:   Recently at my sister's wedding, my 80 year old father got up to speak. Here's what he said:


"You know the Wizard of Oz, the moment when the movie goes from black and white to color? Well, the first 22 years of my life were black and white. But when I married my beloved wife Jean, my life switched to brilliant color. I had 52 years of glorious technicolor.  And when she died in 2004 my life went back to black and white."  


When my father finished speaking, everybody had tears in our eyes. His wordplay wasn't merely clever--it created a powerful moment we will never forget.

SEASONS by Brenda Power

If you subscribe to THE BIG FRESH, Choice Literacy's free weekly newsletter, then you know how wonderful Brenda Power's leads into the week's articles are. Some weeks (many actually), it is like Brenda knows exactly what is going on in our professional lives and she seems to know exactly what to say to help us. Whether it is setting up the school year, dealing with difficult colleagues, balancing our work and family lives, Brenda has stories that help keep us all grounded in good work.

I was thrilled when Brenda decided to compile the best of these pieces into SEASONS: LITERACY LEADERSHIP WISDOM FROM CHOICE LITERACY. I love having these all in one place. And, although I know I have read all of them, or at least skimmed them when they appeared in my Inbox, there are some that I feel like I missed. I imagine I read them quickly as I was trying to juggle many things on a Saturday morning. It is like I have new pieces to discover. For others, I am thrilled about revisiting again and again. I love having them in book form so that I can mark up and tab my favorites.

Brenda gave these out at several Choice Literacy workshops this summer. As I used various pieces to start off workshops, introduce some thinking and give teachers time to talk around issues, I realized how valuable this book is for many. This is a great gift for teachers--essays that span the cycle of the year we know so well. It is also a great thing for administrators, coaches, librarians, and teachers who are always looking for a piece of text to share at staff meetings, student celebrations and study groups. I can see a few of these used in Back-to-School Parent Nights, others used in staff meetings mid-year, and others put in someone's mailbox at just the right moment.

I have read it cover to cover but find myself going back to it often. I will be working with new teachers and mentors this year. I will be scanning it again for a few pieces that would be great to share with those groups.

This tiny book has so many possibilities:-)

Mini lessons from my summer reading

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet
by David Mitchell
Random House, 2010
I own it. The audio version, too.

We'll spend the first days of the new school year talking about reading preferences: favorite books and authors, book choice, just right books, etc. This year, my mentor text for all my beginning-of-the-year mini lessons will be the best adult book I've read since last December: THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET. (For the record, the previous best book: THE LACUNA by Barbara Kingsolver.)

Here are some mini lessons I'll be able to teach while holding up this book:

BOOK CHOICE: This is the newest book by one of my favorite authors. When I heard David Mitchell had a new book out, I didn't wait to hear what anyone else thought about it. I trust this author. I knew it would be good. I read it as soon as I could get my hands on it. {Who are your favorite authors? What are your favorite books?}

PACING: I read this book through my ears by listening to this book, rather than through my eyes by seeing the print. I noticed many times when I wished I could slow down to figure something out or savor the language, or speed up so that I could see how an exciting part turned out. {Do you read faster or slower sometimes? When? Why?}

CHARACTERS: There are lots of characters with foreign names in this book. I had to pay close attention while I listened so I could keep them straight. It might have been easier if I could have seen the names. The reader of the audio book did a good job giving each character an accent. Sometimes that's how I remembered who was who. {How do you keep the characters straight as you read? What does the author do to help you?}

PLOT/SUBPLOT: There are lots of story lines in this book. It was important to remember what happened to Jacob, the Dutch clerk; Orito, the Japanese woman doctor (pretty amazing for 1799); the many Japanese translators (Japanese/Dutch); Marinus, the scientist/doctor/harpsichord player; Lord Abbot Enomoto, evil incarnate. {What is the main story in your book (plot)? What is one smaller story in your book (subplot)?}

Besides all the main plots and subplots, there were the times when the author would go off on a tangent that didn't really take the plot anywhere -- a character would tell a story or there would be an extended description of a place -- but I trusted the author and went along for the ride. {Tell about a time when you had no idea why the author seemed to go off-topic, but you trusted the author and it turned out to be really important.}

There's a whole lot of plot/subplot in this book, but in the end, I think it was a book about character. (I should have guessed that from the title, right?) {Is your book more strong in plot or character?}

STAMINA: This is a really long book. I stayed with it until the end. {How do you keep going in longer and longer books?}

AUTHOR'S STYLE: I love the way Mitchell writes. At one point, I had to turn off the recording and write down a line as soon as I could get my hands on paper and pencil. By way of telling another character that his story was exaggerated, Marinus tells him that he "...rather over-egged the brûlée." {Let's start a bulletin board of lines we love in the books we're reading. Be sure you write the title and the author of your book, the page number you found it on, and copy the quote exactly as the author wrote it. Use quotation marks. Here, I'll get us started with my quote. You can use it as an example.}

Towards the end, I suddenly realized that a descriptive passage about gulls flying over Dejima and Nagasaki was a poem -- I could hear rhythms and rhymes. I rewound the recording so I could listen to it again. (Imagine my astonishment when I looked at the book and that section was NOT written with the line-breaks of a typical poem. Even the READER would have to discover by listening that there was rhythm and rhyme and poetry there! {Have you ever heard poetry in a chapter book? Or a magazine, or newspaper, or nonfiction? Listen closely. See if you can find an example to bring in.}

THE POWER OF DISCUSSION: When I was about two-thirds of the way through listening to this book, AJ started reading it. (When he got to the "over-egged brûlée," I had him turn down the corner of the page -- that phrase has become one of our favorites.) We have had quick discussions about the book over the last week or so. ("Where are you in the book -- what's happening now -- what did you think of this or that?") {Talking about books will be an important part of our reading workshop this year...}

I found JACOB DE ZOET at my place at the table this morning so I know we'll be able to talk about the ending now. I can't wait. As much as I've enjoyed reading this book, I'll enjoy it even more because I can TALK about this book with someone else who has read it. I'm still not sure what the title means. Maybe AJ will be able to help me think that through. {Who do you think would enjoy the book you just read? What topics do you hope you will you talk about?}

One of the things AJ and I have been talking about while I've been waiting for him to finish the book, is the difference between novels and mysteries. I think I finally understand why I don't like reading mysteries. But this is getting long, so I'll make that another post for another day!

Poetry Friday -- Two Cats

TWO CATS
by Katha Pollitt

It's better to be a cat than to be a human.
Not because of their much-noted grace and beauty—
their beauty wins them no added pleasure, grace is
only a cat's way

of getting without fuss from one place to another—
but because they see things as they are.

(the rest of the poem is at The Writer's Almanac)

Laura has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at her blog, Author Amok.

Planning for the Year in the LIbrary

I learned about this great new tool from Buffy Hamilton. Mindomo is a great tool for brainstorming.  I will definitely be using this quite a bit and I think it is a great tool for students too.

I used this tool in a way similar to how Buffy used it--to really think through my big goals for the library this year.  It helped me visualize the big areas of focus for the year and to see how far along my thinking is in each of the areas.  Here is some of the expanded thinking on some of the ares of my mind map.

I blogged about the Design of Space earlier this week.  Really thinking through the space and the messages it gives is huge.  I hope that the space will work in the ways we are envisioning it.

Supporting Independence in Learning and Library Use
One of my big goals for the year is independence in use of the library. When I think about Design for Independence, I am changing a few things this year. First of all, we will have mostly self check-out.  I have always believed that the library is about sooo much more than check out.  But I am amazed at how much of the staff time we spend on checking out students and teachers.  It seems to consume us sometimes and then we are not free to do the teaching and support that is possible.  We are including 2-3 new stations for check out that students and teachers can use on their own.  If students need to check something out and the staff is working with someone else, this should help.  Although we encouraged self check out before, the space was clearly a "librarian space" and people felt funny using it.  This year, we are getting rid of any space that looks like we own it. Just as I got rid of the teacher desk years ago in my elementary classroom because it gave the message of teacher as power, I will be getting rid of the Checkout Desk that seems to give a message other than independence.

In THE LANGUAGE OF SCHOOL DESIGN, the authors discuss the messages we give kids when they have to wait for us to learn or create.  For the past two years, I have started library classes with a class meeting including a read aloud, minilesson, etc. but in a 45 minute session, this seems to give a bad message. The authors say the message goes something like this, (p. 41) “Wait until the teacher enters the room and tells you what to do before you do anything. You are not capable of directing your own learning.” This is the exact OPPOSITE message that I want kids to get in the library.  So, this year, I want kids to come in with a plan for their learning and use the library as needed. I want them to use it that way during their assigned time and I want them to be able to come in throughout the day as needed and feel like they can do what they need to do. We'll work on that early in the year.  I will still pull the entire class to teach some skill or strategy but most of my teaching will be individual and small group in the midst of their learning. I can see calling over a group who needs a film editing lesson or a few kids who need support in research skills. I feel like  I know the kids and teachers well enough to move toward this now.  It has taken 2 years to set the stage for this but I think we are at the point where kids can use the library more independently.

Web/Online Presence
Another big goal is to create an online presence, especially for our students, teachers and community.  I think it is critical for students to be able to access tools 24/7. I have been looking hard at great elementary library websites. There are so many great examples on the School Library Websites Wiki. I have been exploring some of these to see what might work for our school and district.  I had the pleasure of hearing Joyce Valenza speak at BLC10 in July and am inspired to create an online space that will give kids the tools they need whenever they need them. I also see a good website as a way to share resources with teachers, create stronger connections with the community, and invite more participation from students.  I have just started to work on this and am excited about the possibilities.

Teacher Support
I know that I need to do more to support teachers. So often I don't get a chance to share the best new resources or to collaborate because of time.  We did create a room off the library that will house Literacy Resources. Although this is not technically a part of the library, we are hoping that the room creates a place for teachers to look at resources in a more relaxing way, think about ways to use them, enjoy some chocolate and chat.  A website with a Teacher Resource page is one goal and hosting a few events to help teachers see the new things in the library will be important. Last year, I worked a bit with our Instructional Technology Specialist to share various tools with teachers. I am hoping we continue with these sessions this year. They started great conversations.

Even though I have been in the district for 20+ years, it always takes a few years to really get to know people, the ways they teach, and the resources they are looking for.  I am hoping we can put a few things in place that make things more accessible for them.


Events and Celebrations/Home School Connection
I think if the library is to be a place for collaborative learning and thinking, lots of events should happen there.  Last year, we had a few student groups that came in for lunch book clubs, Graphic Novel Club with Ray from CML, worked on projects, played games, etc. We also had a few speakers (George from CML is always a favorite!)  But I want to include more of this.  I am hoping for more family events and more choice events. I think that "Campfire Space" that I discussed earlier this week. If a student has something to share, I am hoping we have the capacity to offer it to others in the school. We have kids with great passions and talents and I see the library as a place for them to share these with other learners. I am also excited about our collaboration with the Dublin Library (Loren is AMAZING to work with--we are so on the same page with our bigger goals for kids. Pajama Story Time is now an official Riverside Tradition! )  It is amazing to see the relationships being built between our students and the public library because of these collaborative events.  (It pays to have the 2010 Library of the Year here in Columbus, don't you think?)  We also will continue with Book Fairs, Author Visits, and speakers but I am hoping to host some Family Library Events as well as opening the idea up to the kids for input. 

Moving Toward a Tech-Rich Library

We have been working to create a tech-rich library at our K-5 school. During the first year as a librarian, we wrote a district grant to put laptops in the library.  Access to these all day has made a huge difference for our kids.  Last year, we received cameras, flip video cameras, and ipods. We also have a projector, a document camera and gigantic speakers. We have set the stage to use all these well and students are beginning to see so many possibilities. With the big things in place, I think it is the little things that will support students in using the tools for creativity, collaboration and communication.

One of the things we are doing this year is moving the SMART BOARD to the other side of the room. I believe STRONGLY that Smartboards should almost never be in the center of a room.  The message a Smartboard gives in the center is that it is a place for one person to talk and teach and for others to listen. l  Instead, I want the Smartboard to be a tool for collaboration-one that can be used no matter what else is going on in the room.  I saw amazing things last year when students used the Smartboard to create music on Garageband, edit in iMovie, to tell stories with original illustrations, etc.  I think the Smartboard really invites a collaboration that is pretty amazing--kids talking and creating together in a way that isn't quite possible with the other tools. So, the Smartboard is being moved to a space where it can be used with a whole class, a small group, or an individual child.   Our Smartboard Team should get to work right away in September thinking through more possibilities for our students.

We also have some great Flip Video Tripods that were not very accessible to kids last year. This year, they will be in the project area for kids to use as needed (and they come in lots of fun colors!).  They are a great tool and at a great price!

I purchased two new things that I am VERY excited about. I purchased a pair of iHome Speakers and plan to purchase one more set for the library.  Although we have a huge set of speakers in the library, these iHome speakers are much more portable and seem easier for elementary students to use. They are perfect for a classroom size presentation. Even when a few kids are sharing something they've created on a laptop, it is often difficult for even a small group to hear the audio.  I hope these speakers will invite more sharing between students--both formal and informal.

I learned about the Belkin RockStar 5-Way Headphone splitter from @KathyCassidy following her presentation at BLC10.  I have been looking for a way to better utilize the iPods for young children and to have more opportunities for audio books, songs, etc.  for our students. These headphone splitters will allow for that as well as more sharing of student-created projects. 5 sets of headphones can be connected! For the price (less than $10 each), these are my most exciting purchase of the summer!